Coca-Cola Chicken is another version of stewed chicken. It is similar to Jamaican Brown Stewed Chicken.
A co-worker of mine put me on to this unique way of cooking chicken. It was a strange idea at first, but the foodie in me, could not resist experimenting with this new recipe.
I have added my own twist on her Spanish style way of making her own coca cola chicken. I always taunted her that my coca cola chicken is way better.
Least to say, this is a very unique way to stew meats. I have cooked beef, steak and pork in Coca-Cola Soda and it has turned out very tender with meat falling off the bone.
Jamaican brown stewed chicken is simply browning the chicken in oil and stewing it in brown sauce.
Most people pre-season their chicken with “browning” (a caramelized sugar sauce) prior to cooking. Traditionally, Jamaicans usually brown or cook sugar in hot oil until it reaches dark brown caramel. The chicken is then added to oil mixture and stirred to coat the meat. Hence, the name Jamaican brown stew chicken.
Fay DeLeon in on her channel Cook Like a Jamaican gave a great video presentation o how to cook Jamaican stewed chicken.
Cooking chicken in coca-cola follows the same principle. The sugary content of the coca-cola reduces to a rich brown caramelized sauce.
Because of coca-cola’s acidity, the muscle fibers and bones of chicken or red meats become quickly tenderized.
The unique flavor and sugary content of coca-cola adds a hint of sweetness and richness to the chicken dish. The sugars from onions and carrots releases their juices and later reabsorb the coca cola sauce in a love triangle.
Coca-Cola chicken is simply a 3 step method. It’s quick and easy meal idea. Serve over a bowl of rice and you have yourself a delicious finger licking meal. Let’s explore the recipe ahead.
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SEASON YOUR CHICKEN
Season your chicken with your favorite dried powdered seasonings. I used garlic powder, Sazon, onion powder, salt and pepper. I Prefer to remove the skin of the chicken, but you can opt to leave them on.
MARINATE FOR 24 HRS.
It has been common practice for me to have my meats marinate for at least 24 hrs so that the muscles of the chicken can be penetrated with the seasonings.
You can cut the legs and thighs into smaller pieces for faster cooking time. Moreover, more of the chicken’s flesh will come in contact with the seasonings thus promoting a better tasting meat.
PREPARING CHICKEN FOR “COCACOLARIZATION”
COCA COLA CHICKEN RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs chicken legs and thighs
1 large onions, roughly chopped.
2 cups baby carrots or cut carrots.
1/4 cup canola oil
16 oz. Coca Cola
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1 tbsp garlic powder
Onion powder, 1 tsp.
1 tsp Sazon
1/4 cup tomato ketchup (optional)
2 tbsp Spanish Thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
(1) Heat canola oil in cast iron pan for approximately 5 minutes.
(2) Gently add chicken pieces onto oil. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown color is achieved.
(3) Add chopped onions to chicken and slowly stir. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.
(4) Pour the coca cola over chicken mixture and leave to simmer over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Add tomato ketchup.
(Make sure that the coca cola soda is at room temperature.)
Adding cold liquids to meats being cooked will toughen the meat and increase their cooking time.
If the sauce reduces too much before the chicken has completely cooked, occasionally add warm water and continue cooking until the chicken is soft and tender.
(5) When the chicken is completely cooked, and the coca-cola sauce is reduce to a rich brown caramel consistency, add the Spanish Thyme. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and remove from flame.
Serve over your favorite rice or starchy food items such as pasta, dumplings, or grits.
I loved trying this method instead of using browning. Browning is more concentrated, but this worked nicely and left some good flavor.
Yum! I’ve heard of Coca-Cola chicken before but never tried it! This recipe was spot on and had tons of flavor!
This recipe had my chicken super tender and so flavorful. This was my first time making coca-cola chicken and I loved it!
We were shocked as to how good this recipe came out! The flavor was more savory than I thought it would be. I would def make this over and over again!
I usually substitute mollasses for browning in stew chicken but this is such a great idea! Can’t wait to try it out! Looks great!
Coca-cola chicken is so interesting. will be trying the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Ooo I’ve never heard of this recipe before but it’s certainly sparked an interest. I reckon my Nan would absolutely love this so I’m going to send it to her to make. Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe with us, we’ll for sure be making and tasting asap! Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
Thank you, Elle. Your Nan will love and enjoy it.
I am a vegetarian so I am presently wondering how I can are this recipe for something else. It looks very good.
Justin, there are a number of vegan and vegetarian recipes on my blog. As it relates to this recipe, I have tried it with other meats including shrimp and whole fish.